Lee holds summit with Belgian PM, agrees to expand battery and energy cooperation

President Lee Jae-myung met with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever in Brussels on Wednesday, the second day of his European trip for the G7 summit, to discuss ways to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung briefed reporters at a press center in Brussels, saying Lee held the summit with De Wever that morning.

Opening the talks, Lee said he found it meaningful to visit Belgium on his first European trip since taking office, noting that this year marks the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He also expressed gratitude for Belgium's deployment of combat troops during the Korean War, saying the contribution had helped South Korea rise to become one of the world's top 10 economies.

With the South Korea-EU free trade agreement entering its 15th year, the two leaders agreed to support the continued expansion of investment between companies in the battery materials and energy sectors, with a view to broadening cooperation around strategic industries going forward.

The two sides also signed two memoranda of understanding on the occasion of Lee's visit.

Under a memorandum of understanding on cooperation for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and startups, the two countries pledged to strengthen communication and cooperation between their small businesses and to work together so that each can serve as a base for the other's companies expanding abroad.

In the field of education, the two leaders signed an agreement between the Korea Foundation and KU Leuven to establish a professorship in Korean studies, and pledged to pursue the creation of a graduate program at Ghent University's Songdo Global Campus.

The two sides also plan to continue exploring ways to resume direct flights between South Korea and Belgium to further strengthen bilateral exchanges.

Lee also noted that more than 120 South Korean researchers are collaborating with IMEC — one of the world's leading semiconductor research institutes, based in Belgium — on nano-semiconductor technology. He expressed hope that bilateral research cooperation through IMEC would continue to expand so both countries could share in the benefits of future advances in semiconductor technology.

De Wever welcomed the remarks, saying cooperation with South Korea, home to world-class chipmakers, would benefit Belgium as well, and pledged to pay close attention to strengthening bilateral cooperation in the sector.

The two leaders also exchanged views on major regional security issues, agreeing that European and Asian security are closely interlinked and that peace on the Korean Peninsula contributes to stability and prosperity beyond the region and across the international community.

Lee also outlined his government's efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea and asked for Belgium's interest in and support for South Korea's Korean Peninsula policy.

After the summit with the Belgian prime minister, Lee was scheduled to meet European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels later Wednesday.

The visit marks the first time a South Korean president has traveled to the EU in eight years; the EU arranged the summit at its own invitation.

Kang said the South Korea-EU summit would cover bilateral cooperation across security, defense, the economy, trade, climate, renewable energy, digital technology and advanced science, as well as in-depth discussions on major regional and global issues including the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East.

She added that South Korea plans to convey its position that EU regulatory measures currently under development — including steel tariff quotas, tariff-rate quotas and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism — must not become new trade barriers, despite their stated aims of strengthening EU competitiveness and addressing climate change, and that Seoul would raise the issue in support of Korean businesses.